Scanning of incoming email-Outlook Express

[plwilliams]

I'm using avast home edition 4.1.396.  I've used the Mail protection wizard to set up Outlook Express and I know that it is checking and putting the 'clean' message on all out going messages.  But, I don't think that it's checking my incoming mail.  I just this morning tried setting it up again with the wizard, but I still don't believe it's being checked.  Plus, whenever I send mail I see the avast pop up at the bottom of my screen, but I see nothing for incoming messages.

My OS is Windows XP with all of the latest updates.

[DavidR]

Hi,

What you can do to check if incoming email is checked is to check the email headers because avast also puts info in the headers as well as in the body (if you enable that function), by default I beleive nothing is put in the body of clean incoming emails.

Example header info:
X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 0419-0, 03/05/2004), Inbound message
X-Antivirus-Status: Clean

To see the headers of your email, select the email and click Ctrl (control key) and the F3 (function key) together. Or right click on th email and sellect Properties, Details and you should be able to see the email headers.

You can set the Internet Mail Resident Provider POP setting to 'insert note into clean messages if you like.

HTH - David

[JAM-Computers]

This might be simpler.  Avast will alert you to any empty email with no subject.  Try sending an email to yourself or to another one of your accounts with no subject and no text in the body of the email.  It should pop up a warning about a suspicous(sp) looking email outgoing when you click send.  Tell it to allow and continue then check your email.  Avast should pop up a message stating that a supisicous(sp) looking email is incoming.

This is my experience, hope it helps
James

[plwilliams]

David:
Thank you for replying.  I took a look at the properties of an incoming message and I could see no mention of avast.  I had also already set the Internet Mail Resident Provider POP setting to 'insert note into clean messages'

James: thanks for the test suggestion.  Unfortunately I got no warning at all from avast.  I'm almost 100% certain now that incoming mail is NOT being checked.

What do I have to do to remedy the situation???

[DavidR]

I would repeat the exercise in the Sent Items folder and confirm that outgoing emails are being scanned. If not then your Internet Mail is not set up correctly.

In Outlook Express, check Tools > Accounts > (select one of your accounts) Properties > Servers, you should see that your POP and SMTP server details will have changed to 127.0.0.1 and your username will also be different username#mail.ispname.com, etc.

If thats not there then you will need to run the Email Setup Wizard.

[plwilliams]

David,
Outgoing mail is being checked and has the message attached to it saying so.  

When checking tools>accounts>Properties>Servers I see outgoing mail (SMTP) has 127.0.0.1, but incoming mail (POP3) has mail.ispname.net

I'm not sure exactly where you are looking at the changed user name, under the 'General' tab?  If so, nothing there has changed at all

[DavidR]

They both (in fact, all accounts server section) should show 127.0.0.1 in the POP3 and SMTP fields and not mail or smtp.ispname.net.

Either you have not ticked Scan inbound mail in the Internet mail > customize > POP section. Or you need to run the Mail Protection wizard from Windows Start > All Programs > Avast > Mail Protection Wizard (the Help file is also available from there a good read through that would be beneficial.

[DavidR]

I'm not sure exactly where you are looking at the changed user name, under the 'General' tab?  If so, nothing there has changed at all

Sorry overlooked that bit.

No not the general tab, but 'Server Tab' and you should see the Incoming Mail Server  'Account Name' will have changed. If you look at the Outgoing Mail Server, 'Settings' The details there will be different,  'Account Name' = #mail.ispname.net, etc.

Running the Mail protection Wizard would probably be you best option all round.

[plwilliams]

David,
I ran the Mail protection wizard again, but this time I opted to do it manually.  I found that under Outlook Express that check inbound mail was not marked, though it was marked for Eudora and Incredimail.  I marked it and completed the wizard.  Then I sent another message to myself that was checked going outbound, but still was not checked coming in  .  I reran the wizard and again incoming was not marked in the wizard.  I again selected it, but it still wouldn't check incoming mail  .  Is there possibly a conflict due to Eudora and incredimail being installed on my system?
Any more suggestions  
Pat

[vojtech]

Have you closed Outlook Express when running the wizard ?

[plwilliams]

Hi Vojtech,

I wasn't sure whether or not OE was running before, so I just close OE down, ran the wizard again with the same results.  Outgoing mail is being checked, Incoming is not.  Whenever I look at the wizard's settings under manual, the Check Incoming mail box is not marked, even though I had marked it and completed the wizard just minutes before.
I had read in another thread something about editing the .ini file.  Could that be a possible solution

With all these worms around, I don't feel comfortable no having my incoming mail protected!

[Lisandro]

Outgoing mail is being checked, Incoming is not.  Whenever I look at the wizard's settings under manual, the Check Incoming mail box is not marked, even though I had marked it and completed the wizard just minutes before.

After checking, does the pop server changed into your email account?

I had read in another thread something about editing the .ini file.  Could that be a possible solution

I think it's better edit directly your email account settings. Can you do that or need help?
Change the incoming server to 127.0.0.1 and add your 'old' pop server name after your loggin name: username#pop.servername.com

Will it work?

[plwilliams]

No, Technical, I can't get the POP server to change with the wizard.  I have no problem with editing the account settings, as long as we're talking about changing the server in properties from 'mail.ispname.net' to 127.0.0.1.

I'm not sure exactly where you are saying to change the login name.  Are you refering to the 'Account Name' found under the 'General' tab?  If so, are you saying to change is from 'username' to 'username#mail.ispname.net'?  Is that # required between the user name and the server name, or does it indicate something else?

Thanks for you help.

[DavidR]

No, Technical, I can't get the POP server to change with the wizard.  I have no problem with editing the account settings, as long as we're talking about changing the server in properties from 'mail.ispname.net' to 127.0.0.1.

That's the one, remember the pop3 server address mail.ispname.net, this forms the part after the # sign.

I'm not sure exactly where you are saying to change the login name.  Are you refering to the 'Account Name' found under the 'General' tab?  If so, are you saying to change is from 'username' to 'username#mail.ispname.net'?  Is that # required between the user name and the server name, or does it indicate something else?

'Server Tab' - The Account Name, in the same window that you change the server IP address 127.0.0.1. Your existing account name/username will be in that field, either type or paste the #mail.ispname.net on to the end of it to make, 'accountname#mail.ispname.net'.

You may also have to change the Outgoing Mail Server if it requires authentication (settings button) to #mail.ispname.net (or #smtp.ispname.net if a different server for smtp) the # in this case I believe it refers back to the Account Name.

[DavidR]

This information is in the Avast Help file, a good browse would be helpful. Manual setting of mail protection.

Step two: modifying the account properties in your mail program

Launch your mail program.
Let the program display the account settings.

If you want to check outgoing messages, change the address of SMTP server to the address of the local computer, i.e. 127.0.0.1.

If you want to check incoming messages, change the address of POP (IMAP) server to the address of the local computer, i.e. 127.0.0.1.

Change user (login) name this way: append the character # (double hash) and the address of your POP (IMAP) server (the same as you specified in the avast4.ini file in Step one). Login name should then look like this:
Ann.Jones#pop3.tiscali.com

If your e-mail program supports SMTP authentication and also makes it possible to set a different login name for SMTP than for POP

If the SMTP authentication is enabled, append the character # and the address of your SMTP server to the login name (e.g. annie2#smtp.tiscali.com).

If the SMTP authentication is disabled, enable it and use the character # together with the address of your SMTP server as the login name (e.g. #smtp.tiscali.com).
Save your changes.

The manual setting of the Mail scanner is now complete.